How many cotton top tamarins are left?

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It is estimated that there are between 300 and 1000 cotton-top tamarins left in Colombia (Savage 1990). There are 1800 cotton-top tamarins in captivity and of those, 64% are found in research laboratories (Savage et al. 1997a).



Similarly one may ask, why are cotton top tamarins endangered?

Cotton-top tamarins are only found in the tropical forests of northern Colombia, and are one of the most threatened primates on the planet. With only a few thousand remaining, these tiny monkeys are Critically Endangered due to extensive deforestation, and capture for the illegal pet trade.

Also, when did the cotton top tamarin become endangered? The cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) is one of the most endangered primates in the world. The species was declared endangered in 1973 following the exportation of 20,000-40,000 tamarins to the United States for use in biomedical research.

Then, how long do cotton top tamarins live?

24 years

What eats a cotton top tamarin?

Wild cats, dogs, snakes and birds of prey are primary predators of the cottontop tamarin, along with humans who are destroying their natural habitat.

19 Related Question Answers Found

Is it legal to own a cotton top tamarin?

While it's illegal to have a pet cotton-top, the law is rarely enforced and the practice is culturally accepted; as a result, the pet trade is robbing the forests of these critically endangered primates.

How much does a tamarin cost?

Lemurs, tamarins, and marmosets run in the range of $1,500 to $2,500; rhesus macaques and baboons might cost $3,500; and spider monkeys tend to be around $6,000.

Is a tamarin a monkey?

The tamarins are squirrel-sized New World monkeys from the family Callitrichidae in the genus Saguinus. They are the first offshoot in the Callitrichidae tree, and therefore are sister group of a clade formed by the lion tamarins, Goeldi's monkeys and marmosets.

How do cotton top tamarins communicate?

Cotton-top tamarins primarily communicate through chemical and vocal signals. This is because they live in areas with thick vegetation, which can be difficult for visual communication, except when in close contact with another group member.

How much is a cotton top tamarin?


White-mustached Tamarin. Male $6,000 Female $6,500
There are two subspecies of the moustached tamarin: Spix's moustached tamarin, Saguinus mystax mystax. White-rumped moustached tamarin, Saguinus mystax pluto.

Where do tamarins live?

Golden lion tamarins live in the rapidly diminishing Atlantic Forest, a richly biodiverse region that stretches down through Brazil and into Argentina and Paraguay. The Reserva Biológica Poço das Antas, a 28,000-acre (11,331-hectare) forest reserve near Rio de Janeiro, protects the golden lion tamarin's habitat.

What do cotton top tamarins eat?

The diet of a cotton-top tamarin is omnivorous, which means they eat both plants and animals. Insects and fruit make up the bulk of their diet, but they will also eat sap, nectar, and even small reptiles and amphibians. Cotton-top tamarins are an important part of their ecosystem.

How do cotton top tamarins protect themselves?

They live in small groups of two to thirteen members, foraging and sleeping up in the trees to protect themselves from predators, which are mainly hawks and snakes. They are always cautious about their surroundings — one tamarin acts as the lookout while the rest of the group rests or feeds.

Are cotton top tamarins good pets?

Unfortunately, the cotton top tamarins are classified as one of the most endangered primates in the world. This is because people continue to destroy their habitats and sell them illegally as pets. They are very sensitive to any alteration of their habitat.

Do tamarins make good pets?


Marmosets and tamarins are beautiful, intelligent monkeys. Even so - unless a family has owned monkeys before - they should be discouraged from purchasing a callitrichid as a pet.

Are tamarins nocturnal?

Like, many other species of monkey, the golden lion tamarin is a diurnal mammal meaning that it is awake and hunts for food during the day and sleeps during the night.

What is a group of tamarins called?

As with other lion tamarins, golden lion tamarins are a social species. In the wild, they live in groups of two to eight family members. The groups comprise a breeding pair, offspring of one or two litters and possibly other relatives. Golden lion tamarins groom much like other primates.

How big do cotton top tamarins grow?

They have reddish-brown hair on the back of their thighs and base of their tail but the rest of the tail is gray-brown-black (Rowe 1996; Groves 2001). Cotton-top tamarins are not sexually dimorphic and the average height of both males and females is 232 mm (9.13 in) (Rowe 1996).

What do tamarins eat?


Since they spend all their time in the trees, it makes sense that their food comes from trees, also. The diet of the emperor tamarin is mostly made up of fruit and gum, or tree sap. They also eat flowers, and sometimes insects and bird eggs.